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Long Lives the King

Updated Aug. 16, 2002 12:01 a.m. ET

Even as the guardians of America's public morality were assailing Elvis Presley in the 1950s, his appeal was obvious. For while his swiveling hips screamed sex, his face was pure apple pie. Today, the 25th anniversary of his death, it is a combination that still sells: Forbes reports that Elvis remains the top-grossing dead celebrity.

This cultural tension within Elvis -- the star who never smoked or swore and took good care of his mama vs. the puffed-up celebrity who overdosed on women and prescription drugs -- made for...